For many people, the more tasks they have completed, the more they feel like their day has been productive. Unfortunately, when people focus on the number of tasks they complete rather than the importance of each task, they often start with the easiest task, and the more difficult, and often more important, tasks get procrastinated.

Her advice boils down to two words, ruthless prioritization. Instead of trying to achieve everything on your list, decide what is most important, and focus on that.

When it comes to ruthless prioritization, often the good ideas have to be pushed aside to make room for the great ideas. While it can be difficult to let those good ideas go, in the end, it is worth it to allow the great ideas to flourish, which will allow you to develop into your best self.

If you want to progress in your career, there are several things you should understand about ruthless prioritizing.

It is better to do one or two tasks really well rather than complete several tasks mediocrely.

Always start with the best ideas or the most important tasks. That way if you do not get to the less important tasks, at least you will know that you completed the things that really need to be done.

Focus on one task at a time. Attempting to complete two or more tasks at once will only result in you not giving any of the tasks your full attention. Then you will not be able to do your best work.

Ruthless prioritizing does require sacrifice, but if you are really focusing on completing the most important tasks to the best of your ability, the sacrifice will be worth it.

Realize your time is important, and plan accordingly.

If you are interested in learning more about this and related topics, visit the Career Advice and Productivity sections of our blog.

Staffing Plus is a premier healthcare staffing firm that provides temporary, per diem, temp-to-hire and permanent Staffing Solutions for Behavioral Health, Education, and Healthcare settings. We have leveraged decades of experience to assist organizations with the challenges of managing their HR and Recruiting needs.